Best resort for Resort Charm & stuff to do off slopes (plus good snow)

A snowHead

Hi. Been looking through the brochures for a place at the end of January. Booking earlier this year for better choice.
Could someone recommend somewhere that has good history of snow fall, large number of runs, lots of resort charm (ie picturesque and not high-rise accomodation) and stuff to do off the slopes (tobogganing, skidoos etc). Ideally, a cheaper resort too!

I know it sounds like I am searching for the perfect resort, but there has to be one out there. Been reading the WTS&S books, and everything that sounds good in a thomson brochure is then slated by those guys!

Ideally not Switzerland as too expensive. Went to Passo Tonale in january and loved it, but needed more charm and more to do off slopes. been looking at Ales D'heure but not much charm about it (will be filming the whole holiday so want an Austrian feel to it)

Hope there is a place out there - want somewhere with lots of runs (done borovets etc and v limited on runs)

thanks

A snowHead

Jon Ford, Lech.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Bode Swiller,

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1. Lech;
2. Argentiere.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Samerberg Sue, I know full well but consider for a sec his Borovets and Passo Toe Nail experience. Cheapness or value for money, your call. People work all year, take a few precious weeks off and then skimp. Lech does not have to cost an arm and a leg anyway. Or stay in Stuben.

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I'd say Lech as well. It doesn't have to be expensive - Ski Total have a couple of Chalet Hotels there at quite reasonable prices. We stayed in the Chalet Hotel Sonneck a few years back and it was fine http://www.skitotal.com/accommodationdetails.aspx?accomId=2030 22 Jan £689. Lunch can be expensive though if you don't watch out Toofy Grin

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After all it is free

Bode Swiller, he's looking at TO brochures - I always stay in a Frühstucks-Pension (B&B to Brits) and it is perfectly acceptable in price. But not many offered by British TOs and to be honest I would never stay in a British TO "chalet hotel" in Austria. The whole atmosphere of staying in a family run Austrian Gasthof experience is lost. Plus there is a strong chance you could win the booby prize of being served and look after by a bunch of unemployed school leavers trying to manage on a Workhouse allowence for each paying customer. Nothing against young people getting the experience under their belts and some of them are excellent and work damned hard to provide a service. It is just not the same as being looked after by locals whose whole livlihood hangs on being successful!

And Stuben will not really fill the bill for the non-skiing members of the group as it is really an out and out skiers resort unless you are staying at one of the big 4 or 5* places. I stay in Stuben when I want real ski-in and ski-out but it ain't cheap Toofy Grin

Wildsmith, sorry but I disagree big time - WTS&S sucks! Way too British orientated and biased and never looks outside of the well-worn areas. I will give a higher mark than the Daily Mail Ski Magazine though Laughing

Samerberg Sue, sorry I disagree. WTS&S has its place - it's British orientated as we are British! & I've always found their information to be useful. Chalet hotels also have their place, offering reasonable accommodation at reasonable prices. Not everyone wants to stay in an Austrian B&B and although I'd rather stay in an Austrian hotel, these are becoming more and more expensive I'm afraid. You may never want to stay in a TO chalet hotel but then you live there!

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cathy, yep I live here now and I have also lived in France - I prefer to stay in hotels where the tradition of looking after guests is a wee bit longer than than a few weeks and where your future is bound up in making the whole experience a success so that people come back again and again.

The wealth of knowledge offered here on snowHeads far outweighs that of WTS&S - I know where I would look and ask if I wanted to go to another area. I've learnt far more about the realities of taking skiing holidays, for example in North America, here on snowHeads than any number of years of reading WTS&S, DM Ski Magazine, or any of the other publications.

BTW - I am also British (at least according to my passport wink

)

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I think WTTandS is OK in terms of getting a broad feel for the comparative advantages of the major resorts (in terms of TOs, that is). It does ignore the majority of resorts, though! And the quotes from consumers aren't necessarily terribly helpful - just like resort reports on SHs. One reporter thinks Val D'Isere is the best in the world, others thinks it sucks.

One problem - often found when people come to SHs looking for resort advice - is that they don't way which aspects are LESS important to them. We all want resort charm, plenty of snow, plenty of slopes, cheap prices, etc etc etc. The fact is that the "perfect resort" doesn't exist - which is why SHs is so useful, because people will say what they don't like about a resort, so that posters can make up their own minds. If somebody says a resort has very limited shopping and no noisy bars after 10 pm I say "yippee", others would groan.

It would be helpful if the OP would say what resort/accommodation features are of relatively lower priority for him. e.g. how important is "ski in/out"? Shopping?

And what kind of accommodation he is looking for.

I wrote to WTTand S once, having taken exception to a stupid comment implying that older ski instructors couldn't be any good. They sent me a free copy for the following year!

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Bode Swiller, NehNeh

You know it makes sense.

Stuben

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I think the OP will get the idea that it's not only between WTFTS and S and Thompson brochures that there's disagreement about the best kind of ski holiday. wink

A snowHead

Another vote for Kaprun -pretty, near the town Zell am See and reasonably close to Salzburg, and snow sure. Whilst the immediate slopes are not extensive Kaprun is vey close to other resorts - eg Zell,Saalbach.

Re WT S and S, like others, I find this useful and informative

A snowHead

Alpe d'huez-I may get a bit of a knockback on the scenic side, however the old town is just what You'd expect of an Alpine town. Things to do goes on and on though, included in a weeks pass is:
Night skiing
Indoor pool
Outdoor pool
Ice Rink (not skate hire)
Sports centre (gym, climbing wall, squash, table tennis, aerobics, etc)
Sunbathing (sunniest resort I've been to)
Floodlit toboganing
Extras:
Heli rides/tranfers/pick ups (not as expensive as you may think)
Snowmobiles
Paraponting
Couple of museums
Torchlight skiing
Full range of nightlife

Chamonix-scenic, loads of history, loads to do however a lot is on the more extreme side!

Thats my 2 pence worth!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

even as a lover of ADH it's a bit of a stretch to call the town itself quaint (yes there are a couple of olde worlde streets but they are surrounded by less attractive stuff). however, the mountain views from ADH are some of the best IMO and there is loads of stuff to do on and off the mountain

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This is Lech at sunrise, taken from the Chalet Hotel Sonneck. Quite picturesque snowHead

The Sonneck is a bit out of town.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Never get tired of that view from the Sonneck, looks just as fantastic in the Summer as it does the Winter.

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I didn't much like BKK either, but it was a long time ago I visited - maybe it's become more charming since? there's certainly a very fancy swimming pool.

After all it is free

PeteMan, each to his own!

Samerberg Sue, not really. BKK just doesn't fit the bill. It's a bit strung out and soul-less. Pleasant skiing, nice spas but that's all.

Lech on the other hand...

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PeteMan, well I can happily report I sampled both of the big spas and they were floater-free. I imagine they keep a log of these incidents.

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You know it makes sense.

BTW try Serfaus, supposed to have loads of Charm.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

PeteMan, well, it can be a bit bleak and lifeless at night, basically one very long thoroughfare, no real feeling of having a centre. It is a good place to go skiing but not exactly charming.

A snowHead

Pedestrian free though isn't it (I've not been)?

A snowHead

PeteMan, yes, Serfaus is car-free-ish (rather than pedestrian free Toofy Grin

). Vistors are allowed to drive their cars through when they arrive & leave and if they're going out for the day. That's about it. I love the ski area and resort but it's not particularly charming, unless just not having high-rise accommodation makes a place charming Toofy Grin

The area round by the church is quite nice. There are tobogan runs and they do a great show up the mountain mid-week with fireworks etc, combined with night skiing. The hotels are quite expensive but, as anywhere, there are always cheaper options and eating on the mountain is cheap.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Samoens anyone? Low but good access to the skiing, the best bakery in France (officially), a real living town. A bit higher you could try Serre Chevalier, Monetier or Briancon ends. St martin de Belleville also a living town but less to do in resort than Samoens. In Italy the Dolomites or perhaps Champoluc.

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someone who wants to do toboganning and skidoos etc probably needs to be nearer the slopes than Samoens - ie somewhere you could pop out for a bit after skiing. People also tend to envisage snow covered chalets when they think of "alpine charm" and, of course, many of the nicest and most interesting places are down in valleys because "proper places" aren't built up in the snowfields.

If resort level snow is a priority then some of the other stuff (found in places like Kitzbuhel, for example) has to go. that's why it's so important for people to say what's NOT important to them.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

thanks for all replies. wasnt expecting so m,uch info, but taken all on board. Will keep looking over the next couple of months for good place Found nice chalet in alps DH, so will quote that one up. As long as scenic going down slopes, not too bothered about nice churces etc. thanks again

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Best resort for Resort Charm & stuff to do off slopes (plus good snow)

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